Kristen BixbyFall… the leaves fall off the trees, the kids go back to school, and admission counselors travel around the country in search of students who would be a good match for their college. Our Advice from Inside blog series continues, as we tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience of our counseling staff to bring you real advice that can make a difference.
This week, we asked our counselors, “When you worked in Admissions, what was one thing students could do at a college fair or during a high school visit, that would make them stand out?” Here are the responses:
“Students who are attending a college fair can print up business cards, with all of their pertinent information to hand out to reps.”
“Read up on the school that’s visiting and ask a thoughtful question whose answer can’t be found on the website.”
“Shake my hand and introduce yourself first.”
“Eye contact. Handshake. Introduce yourself. Ask a question. Ask for a business card.”
“Approach the rep with confidence, and exude enthusiasm about an academic passion.”
“Mention that you have already visited my school.”
“Follow up with a quick thank you email and mention something we talked about.”
“Show me that you know something about my school. Instead of, “do you offer study abroad,” ask “I was reading about your study abroad program in Italy; can you tell me more about that?””
Consider these tips before meeting with Admission Reps during college fairs, or when they come visit your high school. Remember that the Reps you meet will likely be the ones who do the first read of your application. It helps them to put a face to the name on the paper and when they can think back to a positive interaction they had with you.